Agitator muller



prils, 1941. QCHRI TENSEN Em 7.957

AGITATOR MULLER Original Filed June 22. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jvwm ALFRED C. CHRISTENSEN, LE] y ,BARNEY CHSTOR,

April 8, 1941. A. c. CHRISTENSEN ETAL 2.237.957

AGITATOR MULLER Original Filed June 22. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jn/ve'rmms /-)L FRED 6". CHRISTENSEN, .BARNEY CASTORv April 8, 1941.

AGITATOR MULLER Original Filed June 22 1939 A. C. CHRISTENSEN ET AL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /O l H214 3 Jame/x1011 2 f 7 ALFRED QCHRISTENSEN, 7 BYBARNEY CASTOR.

n 0v QV srz W Patented Apr. 8, 1941 AGITATOR MULLER Alfred C. Christensen and Barney Castor, Chicage, Ill., assignor to Herbert S. Simpson,

Chicago, Ill.

Original application June 22, 1939, Serial No.

280,605. Divided and this application September 28, 1939, Serial No. 296,970

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a mixer which is particularly adapted to be used in the intensive mixing of two or more materials with one another. The device of the present invention is adapted to be used in the chemical field generally and wherever a plurality of ingredients, some of which are solid, are to be intensively admixed with one another. It is especially useful for mixing dry or semi-plastic materials, such as used in the ocramic industry and elsewhere.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an intensive mixer wherein the mixing is accomplished by one or more mixing blades which move in an orbital path about the center of the mixing device, and, at the same time, are positively rotated in their orbital path.

Another object is to provide a mixer of the foregoing type wherein the mixing blades are rotated in their orbital path in such a direction that maximum emciency of mixing is attained.

Still another object is to provide a mixer of the foregoing type which utilizes the pan and driving means of a wheel type muller and which is, therefore, adapted to be manufactured by the application of the features of the present invention to existing type mullers.

Another object is to provide a mixer of the type referred to above wherein the rotation of the mixing blades, as they are revolved in their orbital path about the center of the mixing pan,

is effected by positive driving means; in the preferred embodiment, this driving means comprises a stationary circular member disposed with its driving edge concentric with the orbital path of the mixing blades, and means for rotatably driving the mixing blades, as they are revolved in their orbital path, from this stationary driving member,

Yet another object is to provide driving means for the mixing blades which comprises a stationary sprocket concentric with the mixing pan, a driven sprocket on the axis of and connected with the shaft of the mixing blade, and a sprocket chain encircling the stationary sprocket and the driven sprocket whereby the revolution of the blade causes it to be driven rotatably and positively by the sprocket chain.

Still another object is to provide driving means for rotating the mixing blade a plurality of times for each revolution thereof about the center of the device; in this way, the intensity of the mixing is greatly enhanced.

Yet another object is to provide in a mixer of the foregoing type one or more scrapers which engage the sides of the muller pan and throw scraped material, inwardly into the path of the mixing blades.

Still another object is to provide one or more plows which engage a central stationary turret located at the center of the mixing pan and which are adapted to throw scraped material outwardly into the path of the mixing blades.

While the invention will be described as employing a plurality of orbitally revolved mixing blades, it will be understood that only one such mixing blade may be employed although this will considerably reduce the speed of the mixing.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 280,605, filed June 22, 1939.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an intensive mixer of the present invention, with the agitator blades, the turret plow and the blade revolving and blade rotating mechanisms in elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1, with the cross member which holds the central gear stationary broken away, so as to more clearly illustrate the remaining parts.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing a modified form of drive for the agitatin blades.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken through the turret and driving mechanism of the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a schematic view of the drive of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a schematic view of a modified form of construction.

Figure 7 is a schematic view of a still further modified construction, wherein the agitating blades are rotated at different speeds.

Figure 8 is a schematic view of a still further modification, in which friction gears or spur gears are utilized instead of a sprocket chain or friction belt, to drive the agitating blades.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference numeral 1 designates generally a muller pan having a supporting casting 2 which is lined with a wear-resisting pan bottom 3, and is provided at its edge with a circular pan wall 4. A main drive shaft 5 is supported beneath the muller pan l and drives through enmeshing gears 6 and I. Gear 1 is keyed to a vertical shaft 8 which extends upwardly through casting 2 and which is located in the center of the muller pan I. Shaft 8 extends up through aturret 9 and 1s keyed above turret 9 to the revolving cross head designated generally as Ill.

Cross head I U carries at its opposite ends blade supporting castings H which are detachably secured thereto. These castings ll are provided with rotatable vertical blade-carrying shafts l 2 which are journaled in journals l3 mounted on castings H. Any suitable means is provided to prevent vertical displacement of rotating shafts l2, as for example, suitable thrust bearings in journals l3 or collars Hi fixedl mounted upon shaft l2 exteriorly of journals l3. Shafts l2 carry the agitating blades assembly, designated generally as ll, which comprises a cross member l5 and, depending therefrom, a plurality of spaced blades It. As indicated in the drawings, these blades are preferably spaced away from the center of shaft l2 and symmetrically at equal distances therefrom, although obviously any desired spacing of blades l6 along member E5 may be employed. Blades It may be unsymmetrically and unevenly disposed if desired. Preferably these blades l6 extend downwardly to a point where they almost but do not quite touch the upper surface of wear plate 3, as is clearly indi cated in Figure 1. If desired, suitable means (not shown) may be provided for adjusting the tips of the blades It vertically with respect to plate 3.

As a result of the construction thus far described, as drive shaft 5 is rotated, vertical shaft 8 is similarly rotated together with accompanying cross head l6. Consequently, blade-carrying shaft l2 and the blade assembly ll carried thereby revolve in a circular orbit about the center of the mixing pan.

Means is provided for causing rotation of the blade assembly I! about its own axis as it is revolved about the center of the mixing pan. This means may comprise a stationary sprocket if) for each of the shafts l2. Shafts l2 have fixedly attached to their upper ends relatively small sprockets l9 which mesh with a sprocket chain which encircles and meshes with relatively 4;

ameter of the mixing pan. Bolts 22 extend downwardly from cross member 2| through sprockets l8, thereby holding said sprockets stationary. Sprockets H! are jcurnaled freely about an extension 23 which extends upwardly from shaft 8 and is integral therewith. Thus, shaft 8 and extension 23 are free to rotate relative to stationary sprockets l8. A thrust washer 24 rotatably supports the weight of sprockets l8 upon a nut 39 which is tightly looked upon the upper threaded portion 46 of shaft 8. A sealing washer 25 is fixedly mounted on the upper end of extension .3 and keeps material bein mixed or being supplied to the mixer from access to the bearing of sprockets IS on extension 23 or upon thrust washer 24.

In the modified form of drive shown in Figure 3, a concentric circular friction driving rim 26 is stationarily supported by and inwardly of wall 4 of the mixing pan by supports 3'! which are fixedly mounted adjacent the upper rim of wall i. A friction driving member 27 is keyed to bladecarrying shaft l2 and frictionally engages driving rim 26 so that as blade-carrying shaft i2 is revolved about the center of the mixing pan, friction gear 2'! causes rotation of shaft l2 in the desired direction and at the desired speed. In this modification, preferably resilient means such as spring 28 is interposed between cross head l0 and friction gear 2'! so as to yieldingly urge friction gear 2'! into driving engagement with driving track 26. In order to accomplish this, the blade supporting casting may be made into two parts, lla and llb, casting llb being slidably mounted relative to casting I la by means of slots 29 provided therein cooperating with pins 30 fixedly mounted in casting lla and spring 28 being so disposed that it urges casting llb outwardly with respect to casting lla and cross head l0.

Instead of using a friction gear and driving rim in the modification of Figure 3, gear 21 might be a toothed gear cooperating with a toothed circular stationary rack.

As indicated, blade-carrying shaft I2 is rotated more than once per revolution of driving shaft 8 and cross head l0. This is accomplished by having sprocket l9 formed with fewer teeth than sprocket l8. In a preferred form, shaft l2 will rotate 4 or more times per revolution of cross head l0. In the modification of Figure 3, a similar ratio is provided. In Figures 5 to 8, there are illustrated schematically, various methods of car rying out the inventive thought. Figure 5 illustrates schematically the form of the invention embodied in Figures 1, 2 and 4 wherein two separate stationary sprockets l8 drive two separate planetary sprockets l9 by means of two separate sprocket chains Zll.

In Figure 6, the result accomplished is the same as that of Figure 5 but with a simplification of the assembly, only one stationary sprocket It being employed, and a common sprocket chain 20a driving both planetary sprockets l9 at the same speed of rotating.

In Figure '7 differential rotation of the blade assemblies is obtained, stationary sprocket l8a being of smaller diameter than sprocket l8b whereby planetary sprocket lQa is driven at lower speed than sprocket lfib, so that the blade assembly driven by sprocket l9a rotates at a lower speed than that driven by sprocket I91). It is to be understood that instead of using sprockets and sprocket chains in Figures 5 to 7, suitable friction pulleys and friction belt may be employed. Figures 5 to 7 have been purposely drawn to illustrate either friction or toothed driving means.

In Figure 8, an alternative form of construction is shown wherein a stationary sun gear lBc drives planetary gears l9c in the desired direction through the intermediary of idler gears 3|. Idler gears revolve with cross head l0 and therefore, with the blade-carrying assemblies. Gears 3! may be fixedly attached to a shaft 4| which is rotatably mounted on casting ll The gears may be either friction gears or toothed gears, of any suitable type. Thus the blade assemblies are rotated at the same speed and in the same direction as in the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Scrapers 32 and 33 carried by arms fixedly attached to cross head lb scrape the sides and bottom portion of muller pan l, throwing scraped material inwardly into the path of revolving and rotating blade assemblies IT. A F- v 1 the lower end of a vertical in cross head it), revolves about et 9 and scrapes the same by means of beveled edge 33 prov ded at the innermost portion of its enlarged end 53. Plow 34 also scrapes the inward bottom portion of muller pan l and throws the scraped material outwardly into the path of blade assemblies H. The agitator assemblies H throw materials being mixed onto the outer periphery of the stationary muller pan I, that is, onto the wall 4 and the outer peripheral portion of the bottom 3. The scraper 32 carries the material from the outer periphery of the muller pan in front of one of the agitator assemblies ll. Plow 34 creates an outward movement of the material, cooperating with scraper 32 to mix the material, and this mixing effect is greatly accentuated by the mixing assemblies I! the path of which overlaps that of the delivery ends of scraper 32 and plow 34, and which rotate and revolve at relatively high speed. Scraper 33 scrapes material inwardly into the path of plow 34 which moves it slightly outwardly into the path of the other of the agitator assemblies ll. Although scraper 33 greatly increases the mixing eiiiciency of the machine, it may be omitted if desired. Since the leading portion of the agitator assemblies, which first encounters the material, moves outwardly towards the side wall, the agitators tend to throw more material outwardly than inwardly, the trailing portion of the agitator encountering what is left and throwing it inwardly toward the turret. Thus, a continued transfer of the material to and from the side wall from and to the mixing blades, and to and from the turret from and to the mixing 0 blades is efiected while mixing the material intensively by reason of the combined rotation and revolution of the agitators.

The cross head l0 and the blade-carrying shafts [2 are revolved in the direction indicated by the arrows A. At the same time, the blade assembly i1 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows B. The result is that the leading portions of the blade assembly I! throw the material outwardly, while the trailing portions throw the material inwardly towards the turret 9. This has been found to give more efficient and more intensive mixing than would be obtained were the blade assemblies rotated in the opposite direction. However, it is to be understood that either direction of rotation is within the spirit of our invention in its broader aspect.

A door 35 is provided in the bottom of the muller pan I. This door is normally mounted flush with the bottom of the muller pan so as to not interfere with the mixing and with the action of the scrapersand plow. Any suitable means (not shown) may be provided for opening this door downwardly to allow discharge of the mixed material through the opening thus formed.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the cross head [0 is provided with a downwardly extending skirt 36 which surrounds the upper portion of turret 9 and prevents material being mixed from obtaining access to the drive shaft 8 and its bearings. Instead of revolving cross arm I9, carryingblade assemblies I1 and scrapers 32 and 33 and plow 34 with respect to pan I, the parts named may be held stationary and pan l rotated, thereby imparting the same relative orbital or revolving motion between the parts, and the same rotation of agitator assemblies I! about their own axes. Or both pan I and cross head l0 and the parts carried thereby may be rotated with respect to each other although this may involve objectionable drive complications.

It is to be understood that we intend to include as within our invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt the same to varying conditions and uses and as fall within the terms or the spirit of the appended claim.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a mixer, in combination, a mixing pan, a mixing assembly therein, means for causing said assembly to revolve in an orbital path in said pan, a friction gear mounted on said mixing assembly, a stationary driving rim concentric with said orbital path and located outwardly thereof, said friction gear frictionally engaging with said driving rim whereby said mixing assembly is rotated on its own axis as it is revolved in said orbital path, and means yieldingly urging said friction gear into engagement with said driving rim.

ALFRED C. CHRISTENSEN. BARNEY CASTOR. 

